Tofu and Rice Bowl

This is one of my favorite easy, healthy, and cheap dinners to make on a week night. It’s perfect if you’re eating for one (or many!) and you can easily dress it up or dress it down with whatever you have on hand.

photography!

I always have kimchi and frozen rice from Trader Joe’s on hand, and once a week or so I pick up a package of soft tofu to make this dish. An opened package of tofu will keep for 1-2 weeks in the fridge before going bad. Maybe it technically expires before (?) but my motto is I’ll keep eating something past it’s expiry date if it smells ok and doesn’t grow visible mold… expiration dates perpetuate the culture of food waste and bacteria-phobia!! Fight the system!! Strengthen your immune system!! Eat that old tofu!! (with caution)

Moving on from that bacteria rant..

TJs Frozen Rice Collection (AKA a GOLDMINE for lazy people)

I prefer soft vs firm tofu for this recipe not only because I prefer the texture, but also because it is pleasant to eat uncooked or simply warmed in the microwave. Also, since I don’t have a rice cooker or pressure cooker at home, making rice is a 20+ minute process, so I much prefer the frozen rice packets from Trader Joes that are done in two.

Once the rice is cooked, I season it with soy sauce and sesame oil (two basics everyone should have in their kitchen!!), stir in some kimchi, spoon on some soft tofu, microwave for ~1 minute to warm the tofu, add another dash of soy sauce on top to flavor the tofu, and EAT. The soft tofu soaks up the soy sauce like a sponge and is SO GOOD. (p.s. a little Sriracha works well too 😉 ).

I honestly only added the green onions for the picture, but top tip: chop and freeze your green onions to always have on hand for sprinkling purposes ~~ They make any leftovers or Top Ramen feel fresh and fancy.

Some great add-ons to make this a more wholesome meal would be a fried/poached egg, steamed broccoli, bok choy, or any leftover meat/veggies you want to throw on there.

On an unrelated note: I made this bowl and I’m pretty excited about it. I love the slightly wonky, uneven glaze and that it fits perfectly in my hand. More handmade bowls and plates to come because they’re the only thing I know how to make!!